


Tidings of Comfort and Joy

by OlicityandKlaroline



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Holiday, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 18:48:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5467226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlicityandKlaroline/pseuds/OlicityandKlaroline
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arrow 4x09/4x10 holiday fic</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tidings of Comfort and Joy

[Hey, everyone! With it being the holiday season, I figured I would write a holiday fic! So this is the sequel to my 4x08 fic “Repercussions”, and features events from 4x09, some speculation about 4x10, as well as mixing in some holiday spirit! Hope you like it!

Enjoy!]

Beep… Beep… Beep…

That was the first thing Felicity heard. She didn’t know where it was coming from, but she wanted it to go away. Because with that noise came the pain. Felicity hurt all over. It even felt like her hair hurt. Felicity struggled to open her eyes.

What the hell had happened? The last thing she remembered was sitting in the limo with Oliver. 

Oliver. Her fiancé. Where was he? Where was she? 

Felicity felt a brush against her left hand. 

“Felicity?”

She knew that voice.

“Felicity, hon? Can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

She could barely move, but she squeezed with what little strength she had.

“Oh, Felicity! Oh, thank god. Sweetheart, do you think you can open your eyes for me?”

Felicity struggled, but was able to flutter them a little before they began to open up. She immediately squeezed them closed, making a sound of protest.

“I’ll turn off the light. Hang on.”

Even behind her closed lids, Felicity could tell that the room had darkened. She tried opening her eyes again. 

Everything was blurry, so Felicity blinked a couple times to clear it. She immediately noticed that she was in a hospital room. Turning her pounding head as little as possible, Felicity looked around. She had been here for a few days, if the un-watered bouquets of flowers adorning the room were any indication. Felicity felt a pressure on her hand again, and turned to see what it was.

It was Oliver. Except he wasn’t in a suit, and he didn’t have that gorgeously blissful look on his face that she remembered from the limo. He looked downright exhausted. But he tried for a small smile when he saw her eyes on him. 

“Hey.”

Felicity tried to find her voice. “Hey.”

“I can’t even tell you how relieved I am to see those beautiful blue eyes again. You really had me worried.”

“What…happened?”

The small smile quickly fell from Oliver’s face, replaced by a furious expression that Felicity had only rarely seen on Oliver.

“Darhk.”

With that, bits and pieces came back to Felicity. “The… limo. We were in the limo… And…”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “We were able to get to the hospital, but… you coded. More than once.” Felicity saw Oliver trying to hold back the tears that were forming in his eyes. “Felicity, your heart stopped.”

She grabbed his hand and held on with as much strength as she could muster. Oliver collapsed into the nearby chair, clinging to her hand. 

“I almost lost you! There were so many times when it came so close. Even after your surgery was over and the doctors said you were stable, I was still so scared.”

Oliver bent his head over her hand, giving it a kiss, then kissing the ring that was still on her special finger. He rested his head against their joined hands. “I’m just so glad you’re awake.”

Felicity smiled tiredly at him. “I’m here. I’m here.”

They stayed like that, holding hands with Oliver resting against the side of the bed, until Donna burst into the room.

“My baby!” she sobbed, rushing over to the other side of Felicity’s bed. Donna then proceeded to give her daughter the gentlest yet tightest hug she had ever given. “Oh, sweetie! It’s such a relief to see you awake! It was so touch and go there for a while we were worried sick that you weren’t gonna make it! Oh, but I’m just so glad to see you’re ok!”

Felicity smiled at her mom, who still managed to be glamorous despite her casual look.

Donna gave Felicity a kiss on her forehead, then said, “I’m going to go let everyone know you’re awake. You don’t have to see them all right now, but they’ve been asking after you and now I can finally tell them some good news!”

While Donna rushed out into the hall to make some phone calls, Felicity turned to Oliver. “How long has it been?”

Oliver sighed. “Four days. The surgery to remove the bullets and glass was relatively short, but you banged your head and you lost a lot of blood, so they kept you sedated. How are you feeling?”

Felicity took a breath, mentally taking stock. “Sore. Really, really sore. And thirsty. And really grimy. And my right side really hurts. And my head is pounding.”

Oliver gave a breathless chuckle. “So, not all that great?”

“Not all that great. But I honestly have to say that you look how I feel. Have you even left this hospital room since they brought me in here?”

Oliver’s face hardened slightly. “No. I had to make sure you were protected.”

Felicity wanted to argue that he wouldn’t do much good protecting her if he was dead on his feet, but she knew they would be having the same conversation if the situations were reversed, so she didn’t press the issue. However… “Oliver, hon, as much as I never want to let go of your hand, you stink. Not to mention you look like you haven’t eaten in forever, or slept. How about you call Digg or Thea to come keep me company while you go get cleaned up?”

Oliver huffed out a laugh. “Thea said you’d say something like that. Which is why I texted Digg while you were talking to your mom. He should be here any minute.”

Felicity smiled. “You guys know me so well.”

A few minutes later, John Diggle walked through the door, Donna trailing behind him. 

Felicity gave him a tired smile, saying, “Hey. There’s my knight in shining armor.”

Digg cracked a smile at that. He walked over to Felicity and gave her a hug, kissing her on the forehead. “You had us worried there for a bit.”

“So I hear. How are you?”

“I think I’m the one who supposed to ask you that.”

“Yeah but I know Oliver has already updated you, so I figured I’d turn the tables.”

That actually brought a laugh out of Digg, who then turned to Oliver and said, “You ready to go and get cleaned up? Roy is waiting outside with the car.”

Upon hearing Roy’s name, Felicity perked up. “Roy is here? Oh, yay! When can I see him?”

“When he comes back with a refreshed Oliver.”

Felicity turned to him. “Go.”

Oliver stood up, still holding her hand. “I see what’s happening. You only want me to go so I can bring back Roy.”

Felicity smiled. “Yup. I’m only using you for your connections.”

That made everyone laugh. Even though Felicity could see his reluctance, she was glad that Oliver decided not to be his usual stubborn self. 

Oliver made to leave, but Felicity tugged on his hand before he could let go. He turned to her questioningly. She simply pursed her lips. Chuckling, Oliver understood the reference, and quickly bent down to give her a sweet kiss. A “see you soon” kiss. She watched as he left the room, until he was no longer in her line of sight.

A nurse came in to check her charts, and gave her the next scheduled dose of pain killers. With that, Felicity drifted off to sleep.

 

A few hours later, Felicity drifted slowly back into consciousness to the sound of multiple voices. Opening her eyes, Felicity noticed the slightly blurry forms of her family. Looking to her left, she saw that Oliver had returned, looking and smelling much better than before. Squeezing the hand he was holding, she was able to get his attention.

He turned to her. “Hey, sleepyhead. You’ve been out for a few hours. How are you?”

“Still sore, but my headache seems to be gone. And I feel cleaner.”

“That’s because you were given a sponge bath while you were asleep,” said Thea, coming into Felicity’s line of sight. She reached her hands toward Felicity’s face, carefully sliding her glasses on. Felicity blinked a couple of times to get adjusted, and everyone came into sharper focus. She turned to Thea and said, “Thank you.”

She smiled. “Of course. I figured you would ask for them sooner or later.”

“We all know you wanted your glasses so you could see my pretty face better,” came a new voice.

Thea stepped out of the way to reveal Roy, in a red leather jacket instead of a sweatshirt.

“Roy!”

He stepped up to her bed and gave her a careful hug. “Hey, Felicity. It’s good to see you awake. I came to Star City as soon as I heard what happened.”

“I’m kinda mad that it takes me landing in the hospital for you to come and say hello, but I’m glad you came.”

“Me too. But I also came to congratulate you. Both of you,” he said, also looking at Oliver. “You guys finally did it!”

The couple smiled at each other. “Yes, we did,” said Oliver, fiddling with Felicity’s ring. 

Just then, a doctor came into the room. “Oh, good everyone is here. Miss Smoak, How are you feeling today?”

Felicity sighed. “Better than before. I still feel really sore, especially on my right side, but my headache is gone.”

The doctor finished looking over the charts hanging on the end of her bed. “That’s wonderful. When you were brought in, our biggest concern was removing the bullets and stopping the bleeding. Luckily, none of the bullets penetrated anything vital, but a couple of them nicked some arteries, and one grazed your lung. That soreness on your right side is partially from us having to expand your rib cage to remove the bullet near your lung. But fortunately, everything was repaired, and you’re all stitched up. We will have to keep you for observation for a few more days to monitor how the transfusions are going, but you should be able to go home around the end of this weekend.”

“So, like, 5 or 6 more days?”

The doctor nodded. “You will have to come back to begin physical therapy to begin rebuilding your muscle strength. You’ve been in bed for days and are bound to feel fatigued. You’ll need to follow an exercise and diet regiment until you get your strength back. And I’m trusting all of you,” he said, pointing to the people gathered, “to make sure that Miss Smoak follows that regiment. I’m sure there are plenty of people who want to see you back at 100% sooner rather than later.”

Felicity nodded. “Thank you, doctor.”

The rest of the day was spent eating, laughing, and talking with everyone. Even Curtis stopped by to see how she was and to drop off some flowers, giving her well-wishes from people at the office. 

Close to the end of visiting hours, Oliver’s campaign manager Alex walked in, a serious expression on his face. “Hey, everyone.”

Scattered hellos met his greeting.

“Felicity, I’m really glad to see you’re ok. Everyone at the campaign office was worried about you, and they told me to tell you they hope you get well soon.”

Felicity was touched at that. She had been by pretty often, considering that her fiancé was the one who was running, but she didn’t think they were this concerned. 

“Well, tell them thank you for me. I really appreciate hearing that. Now, I’ve obviously been out of the loop for the last few days, so how is everything on the outside?”

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to the two of you about. Since you two just got engaged very publicly, everyone has been clamoring for news on what happened. Now, Palmer Tech’s PR team and I have been able to keep the reporters at bay for as long as we can, but we need to give them something before they start making things up. The campaign team and Palmer Tech’s PR team are planning on releasing a joint statement letting everyone know how you are. But I have been waiting for you two, so you can choose what gets said. I know you guys don’t want to think about this right now, but you two are very public figures and the public wants to know you’re ok.”

Oliver and Felicity sighed. They both knew that something like this would happen sooner or later.

“Ok. Let them know that I am in stable condition, and that the doctors expect me to make a full recovery. Uh, let them know that we really appreciate everyone’s well-wishes, and that we also appreciate everyone giving us the privacy we need during this time. And add anything else you see fit.”

Alex nodded. “That sounds perfect. And again, I’m glad to see you’re both ok.”

Oliver and Felicity nodded in thanks as he left.

Just then, a nurse came in. “Alright, everyone. Visiting hours are over. Come on, everybody out. Felicity, This is your last scheduled dose of meds today, ok?”

She nodded as the nurse pushed the button to give her more pain killers. The last thing she felt was Oliver still holding her hand as she drifted off into unconsciousness. 

 

Finally.

That’s what was running through Felicity’s head non-stop all morning. Because today, she was finally going home. Logically, she understood why she had to stay at the hospital for so long, but she had been going stir crazy! And of course, none of her family cut her any slack and made sure she followed the physical therapist’s directions to the letter. Needless to say she was a little grumpy. 

But that was all over. Because Felicity was going home. 

Once she was through the doors of the hospital entrance, Felicity took a deep breath. It was the first one she had taken that didn’t smell sterile in over a week. She looked to her left. Oliver looked back at her, the smile that had been on his face all day growing even wider. It seemed like he had been holding her hand non-stop the entire time she was in the hospital. Not that she minded. Clingy Oliver was a welcome change from the exhausted and devastated Oliver that had been around when Felicity first woke up. 

The two of them walked over to where Digg was waiting with the car. When they reached him, he stepped forward and gave Felicity a tight hug, mindful that she was still healing. 

Once they were all in the car, Digg asked if there was any place in particular that they wanted to go. Felicity was about to say home, but before she could, Oliver said, “Actually, there is one place I thought we could stop at.”

Felicity looked at him questioningly. He just smiled and said, “Our usual, Digg? How does that sound?”

Felicity could see Digg’s smile in the rearview mirror. “Sounds perfect.”

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in front of Big Belly Burger. Felicity turned to look at Oliver, skeptical. “Are you sure about this? I thought Big Belly was a no no because of my post-operation diet.” 

Oliver grinned at her. “I figured that today could be a cheat day, since we are celebrating you getting out of the hospital. I already ordered, Digg is just going in and picking it up.”

They both watched him come out with multiple bags of food. 

“Ok, that cannot possibly be for just the three of us.”

“Thea may or may not have called a few people for a little get-together at the loft to celebrate your coming home from the hospital. It’s just the usual group of people. Roy will be there, as well as your mom. Uh, Curtis, I think, and Alex. We thought that while you might be tired, you would still want to see everyone, so they’ll be staying for lunch, then we’ll have the afternoon for ourselves to relax. How does that sound?”

“That sounds wonderful. And I hope you can get us there fast, Digg, because that food smells fantastic, and I am starving.”

Both men laughed at that while Digg started the car.

 

Walking into the loft, Felicity was surprised by the sheer amount of holiday decorations covering every available surface. Clearly, her mother had been given free reign over the apartment.

“Felicity!”

She turned toward her mother’s voice, seeing her quickly break off from the group of people gathered near the TV and come to hug her.

“Oh, baby, I’m so glad you’re home! And just in time, too!”

Felicity was confused. “In time for what?”

Donna turned to Oliver. “You didn’t tell her?”

Oliver looked sheepish. “I was going to later tonight, after we got settled and had a chance to relax a little.”

Felicity looked at Oliver. “Tell me what?”

He took her hand and led her out on to the balcony while everyone else eagerly grabbed their Big Belly orders.

Once they were seated outside, Oliver said, “Well, we had something planned, for the end of this week considering that it will be Christmas in about a week.”

“Ok…”

“Now you get final say in this, but we - especially Alex and Thea - were thinking of throwing a Christmas party here at the loft. It would only be us and our closest friends, nothing like the failed holiday party we had at the campaign office.”

“So… it’s Monday… we would have it on Friday?”

“Yes. Then Saturday is Christmas Eve, and Sunday is Christmas.”

Felicity thought for a moment. “Would it just be a casual thing?”

Oliver nodded vigorously. “Exactly. Just a small gathering of our family to celebrate the holidays. And then we would spend the entire weekend just relaxing.”

“Hmmm… And who is ‘we’?”

Oliver’s smile had just a hint of wickedness. “‘We’ would just be you and me. Thea would come over Christmas morning to open presents, and we might or might not see Digg and Lyla sometime throughout the day, but the weekend would be for just the two of us.”

“You know what? That sounds perfect. I wouldn’t mind a do-over of our holiday party. And It’s not until Friday.”

“Great!” said Oliver. However, a moment later his expression turned more serious. “There is…one more thing I want to ask you.”

Felicity nodded for him to continue.

“I…I want us to consider inviting Samantha and William to Friday’s party.”

Felicity was taken aback. Was he sure?

“Are… Are you sure about this? Not that I don’t want them there, they’re welcome to come, but have you told Thea or Digg about them?”

“Actually… yeah, I did. I told them while you were still in the hospital. I couldn’t continue keeping secrets from everyone, so I finally just let the whole thing out.”

“…How did they take it?”

“They were shocked, then mad that I kept it from them, but once I explained everything, they came around.”

“Have you contacted Samantha about this Friday?”

“No, because I was waiting to tell you about it. It will be up to Samantha if they even decide to come, but I at least wanted to extend the invitation.”

“Well, I say go for it. You have nothing to lose. And I haven’t met him, so it might end up being an opportunity for me to get to know my future stepson a little. If Samantha says yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

“Really? You want to meet him?”

Felicity got out of her chair and sat in Oliver’s lap. “He’s a part of you. How could I not want to know him? I’m sure he’s wonderful.”

Oliver put his arms around his fiancé, marveling at how he, of all people, ended up with such a remarkable person.

After a moment, Felicity began to squirm out of Oliver’s embrace, saying, “Now let’s go inside and eat!

Oliver chuckled and followed her inside to their family.

 

{Friday, The Loft}

They would be here any minute.

After everyone had left on Monday, Oliver immediately placed the call to Samantha, who reluctantly agreed to bring William to the party for a little while. What ultimately cinched the deal was the fact that William had overheard the conversation, and wanted to see Oliver so he could tell him more about the Flash. 

Everyone else (Thea, Digg, Lyla, baby Sara, and Donna) had already showed up. The Lances were invited, but Sara was back in town for a bit so Laurel and Quentin wanted to spend time with her. Team Flash was invited, but they apparently had a lot going on in Central City and couldn’t get away. Ray also declined, saying that he was going to spend the holiday getting to know his new team. Alex was spending the holiday with his own family. 

Donna was busy playing with baby Sara while everyone else was conversing quietly, waiting for the food to finish cooking and the final guests to arrive.

Then, there was a quiet knock on the door. Everyone’s heads turned toward it, but Oliver was the one who got up to answer it.

Opening the door, Oliver was greeted with the sight of Samantha and William, who was playing with his Flash action figure.

“Hello, Samantha.”

“Hell, Oliver. William, do you remember Oliver? Mommy’s friend from a while ago?”

William looked up at Oliver. “Yeah! You know the Flash!”

Oliver nodded, smiling. “Yes I do! And he actually heard how big of a fan you are of him, and I managed to convince him to give you a special holiday message.”

He could see William’s eyes light up. “REALLY?!”

“Yup! Why don’t you guys come on in and I can show it to you?”

“Awesome!” said William, walking in ahead of his mom. 

Samantha and Oliver stood in the entrance. “Oliver, did you seriously manage to contact the Flash?” she asked quietly.

He nodded. “I did.”

“Ok, I don’t want to know how you managed to pull that off, but thank you. That is gonna make his Christmas.”

“Thank you for agreeing to come. I know that must have been a difficult decision.”

“Well, seeing how happy he is, I would say it’s worth it.” They both turned to see William talking with Oliver’s family like he had known them all his life. He was even playing a bit with baby Sara. The two of them walked over to the group, with Oliver settling down next to Felicity and Samantha next to her son.

It was Felicity who spoke next. “Ok! So I hear that the Flash has a special message for someone in this room! Who could it be?”

William raised his hand high, excited. “Me! It’s me!”

“And who might you be young sir?”

“I’m Will!” he said, stepping closer to Felicity.

“Well, it is wonderful to meet you Will, I’m Felicity,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand. “Would you like to see the Flash’s message for you?”

“Yeah!”

“Ok!” Felicity pressed a couple of buttons on her tablet, and the recorded message came up on the TV screen. Oliver had asked Barry for the favor the moment he had hung up with Samantha after she had agreed to come to the party. 

Everyone looked up to see the Flash pop up on the screen. The message went as such: “Hey William! My friend Oliver told me what a huge fan you are, so I just wanted to thank you and personally wish you and your mom a Merry Christmas! Thank you!” 

When it was over, William turned to his mom, saying, “That was so cool!! The Flash knows who I am! You actually know the Flash!” that last line directed at Oliver. William bounded over and gave Oliver a hug. “Thanks so much! That was the coolest thing ever!”

The hug was over quickly, and William went back to sit with his mom, but Felicity was struck by the look on Oliver’s face. She could see how much that hug meant to him. Felicity took Oliver’s hand, tears gathering in her eyes at how happy Oliver looked. He turned to look at her, blinking back the tears in his own eyes. He leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss. The two of them leaned back against the couch, watching their family interact with each other, William now watching the Flash’s message on Felicity’s tablet. This was how it was meant to be. Their family was together, having a wonderful time. Finally happy.

Ding!

“Dinner’s ready!”

 

[Hope you all liked this one! Feel free to send prompts and requests, because I love them! Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season over the hiatus! Love you guys!]


End file.
